Santander, Spain

Oh my!  The more we see, the more we get it — this is a very, very good place.  This classic yet modern city is a hidden jewel.  While it is a very popular spot for European tourists, it is barely known elsewhere.   There is a unique blending of old and modern worlds here in architecture, transportation, agriculture, and industry but the culture and cuisine reflect its Spanish seafaring history.   It is an incredible place to explore.

Stan and I have rarely found a city or a place that we did not like.  We could live and be happy almost anywhere.  I’ve often said if push were to come to shove, I could live in a single-wide, happy as a clam, as long as I am with Stan Weeks — I’d like for it to overlook a lake though.   I still feel that way, maybe even more so as we get older.  Thankfully, push has not come to shove though it may someday.  Instead, for some reason, we are free to visit many, many wonderful places.  Some of our favorites are among the most renowned cities in the world; even their nicknames are familiar – who does not know the “Big Easy” or “City of Light.”   Others are obscure and relatively unknown outside their home country.

Santander is one of those.  In comparison to Barcelona or Madrid, Sandanter is a hidden gem.  The more we explore, the more we find ourselves falling in love with it.  The city of fewer than 200,000 people sits on a bay bordered by yellow-gold beaches and in other places, high cliffs overlooking the sea below.  Across the blue bay, dark mountains stand as the backdrop.  On any day, it is a spectacle. 

Santander is graced with manicured parks and inviting public spaces here and there with easy access for all people.   The bayside park and promenade were created following a disastrous fire in 1941 that wiped out the medieval old town and the port.   During the next 25 years, the town rebuilt itself.  Today, that area has lovely parks and museums.  Its wide walks follow the water from the bay past the city’s awe-inspiring 19th-century buildings and mansions.   It winds along the beaches and continues around the tip of the peninsula where the coast rises to high elevations past the Palacio Magdelena.  The beautiful walk goes onward to Parque De Matalenas where there is a fantastic municipal golf course, spacious field-like dog park, and trails that lead upwards to the Cabo Mayor Lighthouse that marks the entrance to the bay.  Every step is breathtaking.  I’ve taken so many photos that the number of them means that no one will ever have time enough to see and appreciate them all. Plus photos can’t begin to capture what we see.

There is more to this splendid, easy-to-explore city than just the sea and mountains.  Its gentle pace is calming and the people are friendly and polite.   Shopping and dining take a little adjustment.  While some stores operate during normal business hours, many take a break during the day and simply close-up shop.  The city virtually shuts down on Sundays.  . . . This seems quite civilized.

The weather here is said to be generally moderate and damp which explains why so much of the landscape is green.  Our first ten days here were dry and very pleasant.   However, the rain did come and it came with a vengeance.  The week-long period of off-and-on heavy rain and wind ended late yesterday.  Like emerging from hibernation, everyone came out.  Crowds walked on the seaside promenades, sunned on their choice of beaches, sailed out in the bay, hiked to the lighthouse, or simply met friends and family at a favorite cervaseria (aka beer joint—these places are on every corner), café, or restaurant to sip coffee, wine, or beer all afternoon.  Every table was packed.

It was indeed a day to remember with its clear blue skies and gentle breeze.  Out in the bay, we saw a Saturday sailing class for juniors taking place.  The scene made me think of the tiny pale blue butterflies that always gathered in the wet soil from water draining from tubs on Grandmother’s back porch on wash day. Tiny one-man boats with miniature sails clustered around the instructor’s larger sail craft.  We watched from a distance as young skippers learned new skills they will use and enjoy for the rest of their lives.

We walked from the Sardinero beaches to the lighthouse that day.  Although it is possible to drive there, we walked the coastline to the farthest tip where a natural lookout high above the sea gave us a view of the horizon over the ocean to the left and the bay and dark mountains on the right.   Every few yards on the walk gave us a different view. 

I simply cannot with words give justice to the sight and the feeling it inspired.  We just stood on that high place and tried to take it.   I kept thinking this is God’s creation, but this magnificent, majestic place that dazzles my eyes and takes my breath away is only a dot, just a dot on Earth and microscopic within the vast universe.